McAnuff's Olympic lesson

Jobi McAnuff believes footballers have a lot to learn from London's Olympians - but claims they are more alike than people admit.

Last Updated: 15/08/12 9:38am

Jobi McAnuff: Has praised the desire of Great Britain's Olympians

Jobi McAnuff believes footballers have a lot to learn from London's Olympians - but claims they are more alike than people admit.

The Reading captain has watched with the rest of the country as Team GB collected a remarkable 29 gold medals at this summer's Olympic Games.

Their attitude, hard work and success have provided an opportunity for some to contrast this with the perception that footballers are over-paid under-achievers.

But McAnuff feels the comparison is an unfair one given the similarities he sees.

"I think we share a lot of the same attributes and qualities really," the 30-year-old midfielder told Sky Sports News.

"Of course, footballers often get a negative reflection from a lot of the media outlets and some of it is self-inflicted of course but a large majority is 'Oh it's just another footballer blah blah blah'.

"At the same time, there are a lot of footballers out there working hard every day to achieve their goals.

Fortunate

"For some it might take longer than others, just like the Olympians. Some might not have been as fortunate four years ago or even eight years ago and they keep coming back the same as us.

"Of course, they've got that work ethic and that desire to want to be the best.

"I think when you see the likes of Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis, that's what really sets them apart - that desire to really want to be the best and to keep coming back.